Gina Main Promoted to Director of Professional Development at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute

WASHINGTON, DC - The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) is pleased to announce that Gina Main has been selected as our new Professional Development Director and will serve as the Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI).

Main’s promotion is a newly re-defined position within the Association to oversee AFWA’s Management Assistance Team (MAT) and direct world-class-quality professional development programs in support of state fish and wildlife agency management, leadership and other programmatic needs. She will also be responsible for providing senior leadership guidance and continuous improvement to the NCLI to prepare the next generations of extraordinary leaders in natural resource conservation.

“I am truly delighted that Gina is moving into this senior leadership position,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “I have complete confidence that Gina will serve the Association, the Management Assistance Team and our state members with great energy and professionalism.”

Main has been with the NCLI and MAT for more than nine years, and has served as NCLI Director of Operations and as a MAT Project Leader for three years. Her dedication to the NCLI has been an integral part of the success of the Institute since its inception.       

“The NCLI Board is excited about our continued professional relationship with Gina in her new position,” said Steve Williams, NCLI Board Chair and President of the Wildlife Management Institute. “I know Gina will bring her program knowledge and people skills to enhance the excellent reputation of the NCLI program as its new Executive Director.”

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve the Association and the National Conservation Leadership Institute in this new capacity,” said Main. “I believe the work of the Management Assistance Team and the NCLI is playing an instrumental part in developing leadership within our conservation community, and will continue to do so in the future. I look forward to contributing to their continued growth and success.”  

Main holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts and Design from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University.

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> Follow the MAT team on Facebook/TheMATteam and on Twitter @TheMATteam.

 The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies—the organization that represents North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a collective voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org.
 

The Management Assistance Team (MAT) (www.matteam.org) is a small, high-performing team within the Association that is charged with developing and delivering professional development training opportunities to AFWA members. MAT products and services concentrate on the agency administration or the “people part” of the conservation equation, specifically in the areas of leadership and organizational development. MAT is responsible for program development and administration of the National Conservation Leadership Institute. 

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) (www.conservationleadership.org) is conservation’s premier world-class experience for developing tomorrow’s natural resource management leaders. Internationally acclaimed instructors from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and other renowned leadership experts help deliver the incomparable program during each cohort’s two residencies.